Train line coupler



Dec- 20, 1949 J. VAN VULPEN 2,491,627

TRAIN LINE coiJPLER Filed Aug. 9, 194e 2 Sheng-sheet 1 Dec. 20, 1949 J. VAN vuLPl-:N 2,491,627l

Y TRAIN LINE coUPLER Filed Aug. 9, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 20, 1949 YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAIN' LINE COUPLER' Application-,August 9, 1946,` Serial-No; 689,545"

6 Claims. (Cl. 285-68) This invention relates to an improved coupling for connecting together the exible end sections of the train lines, steam or air, of adjacent rail'- way cars.

Train line couplers of the general type to which the present invention` appertains, the so-called gravity coupler, ordinarily include mating couplers, each of which is formed on one side with a forwardly extending arm adapted to interlock with a lug formed on an adjacent side of a mating coupler. The interlock is effected by means of cam grooves which are brought into engagement with each other by rocking movement of the coupler in the direction of their length. The weight of the coupler head exerted on the cams tend to hold the couplers in their interlockedengagement. However, when there is apronounced pull 'exerted lengthwise of the coupler,.such as may occur when the flexible conduit connections between adjacent cars are stretched as theicars pass around a curve, there is a tendency to rock the coupler heads in a direction to disengage them. In view of this tendency, it `hasbeencus-V tomary to provide the said couplers with auxiliary locking means to prevent their accidental disengagement.

The present` invention relates particularly to the provision of an auxiliary locking means in the form of an intermediately pivoted resilient lever adapted to be moved into a position overlying the` forwardly extending arm of a mating coupler and to exert wedging pressure thereon. Locking levers of this general type have beenV provided heretofore, but they have not been entirely satisfactory, since their opposite ends have had bearing surfaces of only relatively srnall areas and, consequently, have been subjected to excessive wear by the pressures exerted during the movements of the levers into and out of their operative positions.

A principal obiect of the present invention is to provide a locking means of the pivoted lever type which is so formed that it may be moved to different positions to compensate for` different amounts of looseness or variation in construction of the mating couplers and which, when the lever is move-d to any such operative positiomboth ends of the lever will have flat surface engage,- rnents with portions of the mating couplers` and thereby distribute the pressure exerted over a bearing surface of suicient area to avoid excessive wear on the parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking lever composed of a plurality of leaf springs which are loosely engaged with each other so,I as to permit freedom of: movement of eachwith relation to theother and also provide for a relatively long range o fgfiexing movements without permanent distortion of the springs.

Another object is to provide a yieldable locking lever composed ofa plurality of-bowed leaf springs in combination with an auxiliary resilient element which functions to hold the lever clamped against the coupler head` when it is disengaged from a mating` coupler and which. also serves as a rigid fuicrum for the locking lever when it is driven` toits locking position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more. apparent from the following detailed description of the improved form of coupler and locking means therefor shown in the `accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a pair of mating couplers one of which is provided with; a pivoted locking lever constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2`is a verticalsection taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l looking inthe direction of the arrows and showing the locking lever in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewA taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 illustrating the normal compression and distortions of the resilient lever elements when the lever is moved'to its locking position;

Fig. Ll is a fragmentary plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is afragmentary sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. Il to show the manner in which oneendV of the lock-ing lever bears upon an inclined surface ofthe coupler onV which thelocking lever is supported.

Fig; 6 is a fragmentarysectional View taken'on line 5 5! of Fig. 41 to illustrate the. at surface engagement between. the locking lever and a portion ofa mating coupler;

Pig. 7 is aview in perspective oftwo leaf spring elements which, when engaged with each other, constitutey the lock-ing lever.

The train line coupling illustrated herein is composed of twomating couplers A and B. The coupler A is constructed, in accordance with this invention and isadaptedtointerlook with another coupler of like construction or with any conular construction of these-called. gravity type now in general1.use. The coupler A` is provided at one side with a forwardly extending arm Ill which is formed on its inner face with an undercut cam groove Il. The opposite side of the coupler A is; provided with alug l2 which is provided with 3 an external cam groove i3 of corresponding contour. These cam constructions are standard for all gravity type couplers. Consequently, the coupler head A will interlock with any known coupler B of the said gravity type so as to bring their connecting ports into horizontal alignment and to press the gaskets I4 and i5 tightly against each other. The construction and function of the cam surfaces il and i2 are well known in the art and do not require specific description. It is sufficient to say that the couplers A and B are rocked in the direction of their length to move their cam surfaces li and l2 into interlocking engagement and that the weight of the couplers exerted on the cams normally moves the coupler members toward each other so as to press their port gaskets I4 and I5 tightly against each other.

The coupler A, in addition to the standard constructions common to couplers of the gravity type, is provided with structural features which cooperate with the auxiliary locking means hereinafter described and, therefore, constitutes improvements of the present invention.

The auxiliary locking means of this invention may be described briey as comprising a lever l5 which is intermediately pivoted to swing in a substantially horizontal plane about the lower end of a stud l1. The stud is provided at its upper end with a threaded portion I3 which is threaded into the top portion i9 of an arch structure 23 which is formed integrally with the coupler A. The lower end of the stud l1 is provided with a reduced portion 2l which fits into a recess 22 formed in the coupler. The stud l1 is, therefore, anchored at both its upper and lower ends so as to resist bending strains when the locking lever l5 is driven to its operative and inoperative positions. The vertical side portions of the arch structure are formed on their inner faces with diverging walls 23, 23'c1 so as to permit the side portions of the arch to be made relatively heavy and at the same time permit maximum arcuate movements of the lever I6.

The locking lever i6 includes a plurality of oppositely bowed leaf spring elements including a bottom spring 24 and an upper spring 25. The opposite ends of the bottom spring 2li are turned upwardly to provide flanges 23 and 21. These flanges are formed with openings 2t and 29 which receive tongue portions 30, 3l formed at the opposite ends of an upper leaf spring 25. The tongue receiving openings 2B and 29 of the lower leaf spring 24 extend around the bends of the said vertical flanges 26, 21 so as to facilitate application of the upper spring 25 into interlocking engagement with the lower spring. The lower spring for the most part of its length is substantially flat but the upper spring is bowed upwardly so that there is a substantial clearance between the upper and lower springs at the'center of the lever. Both upper and lower leaf spring elements of the lever are provided with central openings 32 and 33 which are slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the stud I1. This clearance permits the lever, as a whole, to assume angular positions without binding against the surface of stud I1. A coil spring 34 surrounds the stud l1 in a position between the lever and the under surface of the top portion l@ of the arch 20. This spring functions to hold the bottom leaf 24 of the lever down against the top surface of the coupler AV when the lever is moved to the inoperative position shown in Fig. l. The coil spring also functions to hold the top leaf 25 s (Fig. 4) the end adjacent the flange 2'6 is forced upwardly on the inclined surface 35 of a rib 33 formed on the top surface of the coupler A. This upward movement of the end 25 of the lever forces the end 21 thereof downwardly into Wedging engagement with the top surface 31 of the forwardly-'extending arm of a mating coupler. The forward edge of the lower leaf 24 of the lever is preferably formed with an extended lip 38 which is pressed into a configuration to provide a curved bearing surface 39. The curved bearing surface 39 and the rear lower edge portion 40 of the arm denne the width of the bearing surface at this end of the lever. When these surfaces 39, 40 move upwardly on the inclined surface 35 of the rib 36, the lever I6 is tilted in the direction of its length to press the bottom surface 4| into wedging engagement with the top surface 31 of the forwardly projecting arm of the mating coupler. The pressure exerted by the resilient lever hold the surfaces Il, i2 of the mating coupler firmly interlocked with each other. VIn addition to the above tilting of the lever i6 in the direction of its length, it is also tilted in a direction transversely of its length so as to permit the said surfaces 39, 4c to move intdbearing engagement with the inclined surface 35 of the rib 36. In order to provide a flat bearing of the other end of the lever against the top surface 31 of the mating coupler arm, the end of the lower spring leaf is bent upwardly to the angular conguration shown in Figs. 2 and 7, so as to provide a flat bearing surface 42 for engaging the top surface 31 of the said mating coupler arm, when the lever I6 is tilted transversely of its length. The top surface 31 of the said mating coupler arm is preferably inclined transversely of the arm. Consequently, the end portion 42 of the lever I6 which overlies the surface 31 is provided with a corresponding inclination. VThe portion of the top leaf of the lever which overlies the said angular end portion of the lower leaf is provided with a similar inclined portion 43.

By forming the locking lever I6 of oppositely bowed springs, the function of the coiled spring 34 can be confined to holding the lever in its inoperative position and the flexing range of the leaf springs 24 and 25 may be suchV as to accommodate all variations in mating coupler structures and at the same time exert strong resilient pressure when the lever is inits coupler locking position.

I claim:

1. In a train line coupler of the character described including a head and a forwardly projecting arm for engaging respectivelyV the arm and head of a mating coupler, alocking device supported on the coupler headcomprising a resilient lever composed ofupper and lower leaf springs interlocked with each other at their opposite ends and intermediately pivoted to swing about a vertical axis and to tilt both lengthwise` and transversely into holding engagement with a mating coupler arm, an inclined wedge surface engaging one end of the lever for effecting both of said tilting movements, and the other end of the said lower lever being bent to provide a surface inclined both lengthwise and transversely of the lever so as to position a flat bearing sur face on the mating coupler when the lever is tilted lengthwise and transversely.

2. In a train line coupler of the character described including a head and a forwardly projecting arm for engaging respectively the arm and head of a mating coupler, a locking device supported on the coupler head comprising a resilient lever intermediately pivoted to swing about a vertical axis and to tilt both lengthwise and transversely into holding engagement with a mating coupler arm, a stud supported at its opposite ends and providing the pivoted axis for the lever, means comprising a coiled spring positioned above the lever and having its coils in close relation to each other so as to be compressed solid,

during the initial locking movement of the lever, n

to provide a fulcrum about which the lever is tilted, an inclined wedge surface engaging one end of the lever for effecting both of said tilting movements, and the other end of the lever being 1;.

formed with a surface inclined transversely of the lever so as to position a flat bearing surface on the mating coupler when the lever is tilted transversely.

3. In a train line coupler of the character described including a head and a forwardly projecting arm for engaging respectively the arm and head of a mating coupler, a locking device supported on the coupler head comprising a resilient lever composed of a plurality of leaf springs comprising upper and lower springs bowed in opposite directions and intermediately pivoted to swing about a vertical axis and to tilt both lengthwise and transversely into holding engagement with a mating coupler arm, an inclined wedge surface engaging one end of the lever for effecting both of said tilting movements, and a coil spring positioned above the upper spring and bearing at its upper end against an overlying rigid portion of the coupler head; the coils of said spring being in close relation to each other, whereby the spring is adapted to be pressed solid during the initial locking movement of the lever and the bowed leaf spring lever is thereafter CJR flexed by the further locking movement of the *i lever.

4. In a train line coupler of the character described including a head and a forwardly projecting arm for engaging respectively the arm and head of a mating coupler, a locking device supported on the coupler head comprising a resilient lever composed of a plurality of leaf springs comprising a bowed lower spring formed with upstanding ends having openings therein and an oppositely bowed upper spring having end portions extending into said openings, the lever being intermediately pivoted to swing about a vertical axis and to tilt both lengthwise and in :Q transversely into holding engagement with a mating coupler arm, an inclined wedge surface engaging one end of the lever for effecting both of sai.. tilting movements, and the other end of the lever bent to provide a surface inclined transversely of the lever so as to position a fiat bearing surface on the mating coupler when the lever is tilted transversely.

5. ln a train line coupler of the character de scribed including a head and a forwardly proiecting arm for engaging respectively the arm and head of a mating coupler, a locking device supported on the coupler head comprising a lever intermediately pivoted to swing about a vertical i; axis and to tilt both lengthwise and transversely into holding engagement with a mating coupler a stud supported at its opposite ends and providing a pivotal axis for the lever, a coil spring surrounding said stud intermediate the lever and a fired part of the coupler head and having its coils arranged in close relation to each other so to be compressed solid during the initial locking movement of the lever to provide a fulcrum about which the lever is tilted, an inclined wedge surface engaging one end of the lever for effecting both of said tilting movements, and the other end of the lever being bent to provide a surface inclined transversely of the lever so as to position a flat bearing surface on the mating coupler when the lever is tilted transversely.

6. In a train line coupler of the character decribed including a head and a forwardly projecting arm for engaging respectively the arm and head of a mating coupler, a locking device supported on the coupler head comprising a lever intermediately pivoted to swing about a vertical axis and to tilt both lengthwise and transversely into holding engagement with a mating coupler arm, an inclined wedge surface engaging one end of the lever for effecting both of said tilting movements; the forward edge of said lever adjacent one end thereof being provided with a resilient tongue portion for bearing against said wedge surface and the other end of the lever being bent to provide a surface inclined transversely thereof so as to position a at bearing surface on the mating coupler arm when the lever is tilted transversely.

JOHN VAN VULPEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,671,613 Roth May 29, 1928 1,681,729 Gold Aug. 21, 1928 1,733,390 Roth Oct. 29, 1.929

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 295,951 Great Britain July 18, 1929 

